England Under-21 2 Romania Under-21 1

CHRIS Smalling’s first goal for England Under-21s gave Stuart Pearce’s side a slender lead from the first leg of their European Championship play-off against a well-organised Romania side at Carrow Road.

Sunderland youngster Jordan Henderson volleyed England ahead just after the hour mark, only for an unfortunate deflection off Ryan Bertrand to hand Romania a crucial away goal.

However, Smalling, the 20- year-old Manchester United centre-back, slotted home from close range with just seven minutes left after a knockdown from substitute Daniel Sturridge.

It remains to be seen, though, whether Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere, who will again have caught the eye of watching England manager Fabio Capello, is to be involved in the second leg after also being included in the seniors squad for their forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley on Tuesday night.

Pearce had warned Romania would be no pushovers, having won their group in impressive fashion, and so it proved.

The visitors were not just content to sit back as Dinamo Bucharest youngster Marius Alexe, a reported target for Chelsea, looked lively in attack while Gabriel Torje struck the post a minute before the interval.

Romania almost snatched the lead on the stroke of halftime when Torje hit the base of the near post after another swift counter-attack.

Captain Michael Mancienne, spending another season on loan at Wolves from Chelsea, drilled a low shot in from 25 yards, which was deflected around the post.

From the resulting corner, England took the lead after 61 minutes.

Lung again punched clear, rather than attempting to catch. The ball fell to Henderson once more and this time, the midfielder’s volley flew back into the bottom corner, under the arms of the Romania keeper.

Carrow Road erupted, but in the dugout, Pearce remained unmoved.

England pressed for a second, with Wilshere powering his way into the left side of the penalty area and drilling a shot at Lung, which this time the Romania keeper held on to.

The visitors snatched a crucial away goal on 70 minutes.

A quick break and a neat exchange around the England area saw the ball worked out to Ioan Hora on the right, with his low centre spinning off Bertrand and inside the near post past a wrong-footed Fielding.

Pearce immediately made a change as he replaced Cleverley with Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton and then introduced Sturridge for Welbeck with ten minutes left.

It proved an inspired tactical switch as Sturridge headed back a corner at the far post into a crowded six-yard box, which Wilshere flicked on and Smalling crashed in to give England a lead to defend in Botosani on Tuesday.